Figuring out how to find balance during a job search can feel impossible at times. Looking for a job can often feel like a full-time job. Between improving your resume, regularly checking out the top job search websites, and (hopefully) preparing for an interview, it can begin to feel like you’re working at your desk as often as you did when you had a job. Putting in the necessary time and effort is important and will ultimately be rewarded with a new job, but it can be hard to find the right “work”-life balance to avoid job search burnout. Here are a few tips on how to find balance during a job search.

Go outside every day

Whenever I was a little down about my job hunt or was not quite sure what to do next, I went for a walk. Getting outside is very helpful for my mental health and going for a walk helps me clear my head and clarify my thoughts. I come back to my desk ready to get back to whatever I’m working on that day. Of course, you can’t always go for a walk if the weather is bad, particularly in the winter, but if you can, get outside every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. It will do more help than you realize.

Take a break

Going for a walk is great, but it is also important to take mental breaks throughout the day. This may seem obvious but sometimes I feel like I’m not doing enough to advance my job search if I’m not looking at job search sites from 9 to 5. By stepping away from the computer and doing something else for a few minutes I’m actually helping myself by refocusing and shifting to a different priority. Have lunch, read a book, vacuum the downstairs, or just scroll Instagram for 10 minutes. By taking a break you’ll be ready to get back to work and continue your job hunt.

Give yourself permission to do something else

This goes along the lines of taking a break, but it’s more of a mental exercise than a physical one. Looking for a job can be a grind mentally with many different stages of feelings. I am usually happy to do the work needed to prepare for an interview and I feel good about the work I put into into it, but I usually feel a bit of a letdown after the interview is over. This is natural but it’s still tough to navigate mentally. The important thing is to keep moving forward and to take something positive from every company interaction. I try to do at least one thing each day to help me get closer to a new job. Something as small as tweaking my resume to make it sound better can constitute a successful day.

That’s what I try to do, anyway. Most days I’m successful and feel good about the work I did, but other days I feel a little down because I’m still not that close to finding a new job. I also feel guilty about doing anything unrelated to my job search.

At that point, I give myself permission to do something else. Sometimes that is going for a walk or reading a book, but it can also include taking an entire day off and doing something else like going to Target and rearranging the living room or even taking a trip to Portland to check out a Blazers game (see photo above). I also consistently take weekends off in order to reset and spend time with my family. As long as you’re putting several hours each day into your job search, give yourself permission to find some balance in your life.

Learn new skills

I try to have a job search plan every week. One week is updating my resume, the next week is finding the best job search websites, the week after that is working on my two websites. I find it helpful to have a plan to stick to in order to keep focused and maintain a high-ish level of productivity. Some weeks I focus on trying out something new and developing a new skill.

Last week my goal was to learn about Adobe Express and create a new logo for my LLC. As you can see on the Dahlstrom Solutions LLC blog post, after fiddling around with Adobe I came up with a basic logo that turned out pretty good. Now I have a logo for my website and can add Adobe Express as a skill on my resume. You don’t need to be a complete expert on a subject to list it on your resume and job applications. By trying out something new at least once a month you can learn new marketable skills and add new qualifications to your resume.

Get back to work!

Finding the right balance between focusing on your job search and pursuing other interests will help you avoid burnout and stay focused on the task at hand. Getting outside, taking breaks throughout the day, giving yourself permission to take a longer break, and learning new skills will keep you refreshed, energized, and ready to continue the grind of searching for your next career opportunity. Just remember that everything you are doing is getting you closer to your